Firefox 16 is Available for Download

Mozilla has already made a habit out of often updating its Firefox browser. Not even two months ago, we were writing about the 15th version of Firefox and here we are with Firefox 16, already available for download. Mozilla should soon make the announcement official on their blog, but if you can’t wait, just scroll down and find the download links. The reason why Mozilla is always updating its browser is quite obvious – they want to retain their current users and become a better browser than Chrome or Internet Explorer.

What’s new in Firefox 16

A regular user like me will not understand most of these updates, and they will be much easier perceived by developers. What we need to know, as “mundane” beings is that Firefox 16 comes with Web app support for all desktop operating systems. Also, Firefox 16 comes with incremental garbage collection which should make the browser be more responsive. Here’s what Mozilla had to say about this:

This is a major feature, over a year in the making, that makes Firefox smoother and less laggy. With incremental GC, Firefox responds more quickly to mouse clicks and key presses. Animations and games will also draw more smoothly.

So, if you were experiencing some lags before while clicking or pressing some keys, this should sove the problem for you. Some users on Softpedia forums already claim that the new version of Firefox is actually 50% speedier. What will Chrome users have to say about that? Let’s have a look at all the features that come with Firefox 16:

Initial support for web apps on all platforms

Added Acholi localization

Improved JavaScript responsiveness via incremental garbage collection

New developer toolbar featuring error count for the Web Console

Easy access to tools and quick access to keyboard via a new command-line